Successful comunication with patients requires specific skills that must be applied effectively, but uniquely, to each patient encounter. With the explosive growth of the older population, clinical encounters with older patients will become increasingly common. Physicians need to understand the unique needs of this population and potential communication challenges of older patient encounters. This article presents general techniques to enhance communication with older patients as well as specific strategies to aid communication with patients who have sensory or cognitive losses or who are accompanied by family members or other caregivers.